Denny's

Crisis Communications for Denny's

Situation: As the nation’s No.1 family dining chain serving thousands of customers every day, 24-hours a day, Denny’s is a magnet for public attention. The company operates in an industry characterized by operational challenges. Whether related to food quality, food safety, guest service or guest satisfaction, the very nature of the restaurant business guarantees that emergencies and crises will arise in the course of routine operations.

Program: To make sure Denny’s was fully prepared for a crisis situation, Stanton Communications created a crisis plan for internal and external implementation. The plan of action provides a method for applying the appropriate communication resources until the crisis has been resolved. This plan ensures minimum impact to the brand and allows the company to conduct business as usual. To test the effectiveness of the crisis plan, Stanton Communications conducted a comprehensive crisis drill with Denny’s senior management involving two different crisis scenarios. This enabled the chain to assess notification and decision-making processes and test protocols and procedures for implementation.

Results: With this crisis plan in place, Stanton implemented a system that notifies Denny’s management immediately of a potential crisis and allows them to quickly make decisions. The ability to communicate efficiently and concisely with the media and general public has been proven to limit speculation about any incident that has occurred at a Denny’s restaurant, therefore lessening the likelihood of sensationalized media coverage. The process enables the company to maintain normal business activities expected by customers and shareholders alike.